


la chica de Alcatraz

by bj62



Category: The Streets of San Francisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-06-19 18:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 12,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15516351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bj62/pseuds/bj62
Summary: takes place after  The other foot.  Mike is still recuperating and a body is found near Coit Tower.  Could it be the start of a serial killer?





	1. Chapter 1

Steve Keller was starting to settle in to the job he had just given up a little over a year ago. The one thing he had not expected was that he would start to appreciate sitting in the office of his mentor. The door had its advantages. Shutting out the noise of the squad room gave him more time to think. Mike was about five years away from his thirty year pin. There may be a chance that this would be his new place ti work. He could convince Rudy that his quitting may have been a leave of absence.

Mike was still recuperating from the gun shot wound that led Steve back to the force. Much as he knew that Mike would be chomping at the bit for something to keep his mind on, Steve was not about to let him work on a case until he had a clean bill of health. Unfortunately crime would not take a holiday because he was recuperating. That was why he was up in the predawn hours looking at a crime scene. 

The body was that of a nude Hispanic woman lying face down hidden near Coit Tower, with her arm pointed toward Alcatraz. It was a sheer fluke that she was found at all so quickly after she was killed. An elderly gentleman's dog got loose and had been running around the vicinity. The dog found the body and was running around making a nuisance of itself. When the patrolmen were notified, Steve's phone rang. 

He was used to being an early riser, but this was a bit much. Being a professor had given him the luxury of sleeping in. This was part of the job that he could live without. Once he got on the scene, he thanked the man with the dog and started to process the crime scene.

She could have easily been overlooked. She was well hidden from view. Once they uncovered the body, he noticed that her fingernails were painted and her lips had a trace of the same color of lipstick. She would have be beautiful if the perp had not marred her with knife scratches. He finally brushed aside the hair to look at her eyes.

 

He caught his breath.

The eyes were neatly removed from their sockets. 

Steve felt the bile rise from within him and stood up to look at the colors that were forming in the sky on the bay. Who could do this? He wandered what he was going to find when he met the perp face to face. He wanted to know if there was more to come. it was going to take more that a few missed hours of sleep.

His first task was to identify the body. He needed a sketch artist and he needed him to draw her with her eyes closed.

He walked in silence waiting for the teams to attain the evidence, He waited for the coroner to tell him what he didn't already know.

Much as he wanted this to be first page news. A Hispanic would not hold the interest of the public. She needed notoriety. Maybe she was a diplomats daughter. He was not holding his breath.

Now all he needed to do was wait. He needed to wait and search out all the barrios to see if an angel like her was missing. He had to wait to see if he would be given the task of notifying the next of kin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long. the new chapter had been eaten twice, so here is the third attempt.

By the time Steve got to Mike's office, it was mid morning. Dan was working on some late paperwork, when Steve ushered him into the office. 

"I got a call early this morning. I am still waiting for the coroner's report, but it was imperative that the crime scene be cleaned up as soon as possible. She was a Hispanic found near Coit Tower. It wasn't pretty." Steve said bluntly.

Dan looked at him and wondered if there would ever come a time when he would be able to become as detached as Steve was about a corpse.

"If we can, I want to keep this a low profile. We were lucky. Someone's dog found her before she decomposed. I cannot imagine finding her in broad daylight. She was nude and her eyes were cut out of her sockets. I am hoping this is an isolated incident, but my gut tells me that this is only the beginning. Mike said to trust my gut, and the way the body was positioned tells me there is more to come. I don't want to give him publicity." Steve added rubbing his eyes.

"What's next?" Dan asked.

"Finish up the reports. I will type up my notes. By that time, we should go see what's keeping the autopsy and see Rudy. One more thing, there is no telling Mike about this case. He needs another week off and I know he wants to sink his teeth into something to occupy his time, but i have seen him wrap himself up in a case and take cat naps in this office. He has five more years before he retires. It's bad enough when he gets off sick leave. Jeannie will hand me my head and God knows what other part of my anatomy if he finds out that we are on this case." Steve said.

"So if he finds out about it we are to tell him we are not the ones who caught it?"

"We are to tell him that we know nothing about it. He needs this week and I plan on giving it to him. If we can solve it before he comes back, all the better. it will be a good test of our skills." Steve said with a small grimace.

Dan walked out of the office and shut the door quietly. He had a thumbnail sketch of what happened and who they were after. The faster he tied up the loose ends the sooner he could help Steve make it safer for the city.

 

Two hours later they stood standing at ease while the coroner put finishing touches on the autopsy of Jane Doe. She did not look like any Jane Doe Dan had seen. He tried to avert his attention to any other part of her anatomy. But forcing himself to look at other things was impossible. His vision kept looking at those empty sockets.

The murderer had been thorough. No finger prints were found, not even on the eyelids that were open with hollow spaces. The bastard had managed to keep the eyelashes in tact. This meant he had done this before, if not on a human being, than on some other animal.

One of the few things Steve wanted to know was whether or not she was alive when the procedure was done. Before he had a chance to ask, the coroner had determine that a paralyzing agent was used to disable her body. It may have been some version of Curare.

The thought terrified him. It was bad enough that the woman had been raped, but to know that she could feel the bastard take out her eyes before she took her last breath...

There were any number of ways to kill someone, but this seemed unusually cruel. To make matters worse, how could they show pictures of her face in order to identify her body? Birthmarks were only good if you had something to go by;

She was Hispanic with what appeared to be some status of wealth. The fingernail polish on her toes and fingers was not a dime store brand and it matched exactly the color of her lipstick. No prostitute of this ethnicity would be able to afford such a luxury. He knew that taking the eyes would compound her identification, but there were few upper crust Hispanics. They needed to find out more. And time was not on their side. Something in his gut was telling him that she was one of many. The only person who knew who would be the next victim was the killer.

In Steve's opinion the body was still warm. The man had used a condom, The coroner had found two different spermicides so either one or more than one had hurt her before they ended her life.

He wanted to check missing persons. He knew there was a slim chance at best, to identify her, but he had to try. What really terrified him was knowing the killer would strike soon and the more the bodies piled up, the greater the chance the story would be leaked. That meant two things. City wide panic, and Mike wanting his office back...

Since Steve first saw the body, he knew there were more to come. He had no way of having the merest hint of finding the person responsible until he killed again.


	3. Chapter 3

After speaking with the coroner they spoke with Rudy. As they walked into the squad room, Steve gave Dan the task of contacting Missing Persons and got the chalkboard. For the time being, Steve wanted to keep it hush hush. He knew Mike would be keeping tabs on his two partners. The convenience of using Mike's office was the blinds that would keep out curious eyes.

The disadvantage was confining the case to three people. Sometimes a set of fresh eyes could give new insight. Steve could feel the clock ticking. He really wanted to nail the bastard before more people were killed in the same way. He found himself getting frustrated because the killer had the edge. It did not matter how many people were working on the case, without many clues to go on, he could hide in the darkness.

Steve was a cop, and those in the city knew he was a cop. It was not because he was dressed any differently than other business men. It was the way he carried himself. To the trained eye, one would know he was carrying a weapon. Plain clothes meant that he should blend into the population of the city. He had the badge to explain the firearm.

If you showed people three different people and they would be able to tell what they were by how they dressed. Except serial killers. 

Out of those three, one or two of them could easily be a killer. Psychopaths had no sense of empathy, but they were good mimics. In all the years he had been a cop, he could catch them, but he did not want to understand them. Understanding them meant that he would no longer have empathy. It meant he could no longer love or laugh or cry. He was a good cop because he felt compassion. He was a good cop because he was taught by one of San Francisco's finest.

After all this time, he had been able to identify with a few sentences whether someone was guilty of something or innocent. He found proof as well. They came from all walks of life, all races and all ages. 

This one was aggravating because the bastard had been thorough.

There was nothing left at the site that could identify him. In some ways removing the eyes was a stroke of genius. It would become his trademark. It made the body that much harder to identify. 

Steve waited.

 

What Dan and Steve knew was written on the chalkboard. There was more board than chalk when the call came. The M.O. was like the first one. The body was partially hidden and the hand pointed toward Alcatraz. The time of death was currently uncertain. For all they knew the murders could have taken place at the same spot. The eyes were carved out with precision. The only difference was the woman was black. Her hair was closely cropped and they did not know if it was post mortom.

Steve drove the sedan to the site. It was no more than 100 yards away from the first body. She was partially covered with the floral and fauna of the area.

Dan moved the body and could barely contain the nausea. Steve managed to steer him to the nearest trash can and waited. It would make even a old pro evacuate his stomach contents.

He got out a his hanky and handed it to Dan.

"You didn't even flinch." Dan said.

"I saw it earlier this morning. He has to know the area. How did he manage getting the body here in broad daylight without anyone seeing? Canvas the area, find out if anyone is going to talk. Find out if we have a miracle that could give us one clue as to who this bastard is. The only way it could be a woman is if she was a body builder or had a accomplice. Whoever it is we have maybe 12 hours before he does it again. He wants the word to spread. He wants the papers and television stations to get wind of it. A third body would do that. There is no way i can stop it. Rudy will put every available man on it. Mike will learn that we are leading the investigation and want in on it."

"I am not going to let that happen. Much as that bastard wants to be acknowledged, we have to keep it silent. He will get desperate, and he will get sloppy. That is when we nail him."

"Do you really think we can do it without Mike knowing about it? We need to catch before he kills again." Dan said matter of factly.

"I did not know what his time table was; He is brash and brazen and has no fear of getting caught when he disposes of the body. Disposing of the second body before we had a chance to identify the first means that he wants notoriety and he is waiting for the it to hit the papers. He is laughing at the police department. The longer we can keep it quiet, the more aggravated he becomes. We need to canvas the area and pray we get a lead. In the meantime, I will pray the autopsy will give us something that he did not mean to let slip. I doubt it, but I am counting on it. In the mean time patrol this area more thoroughly before there is a third body and get all the info from the crime scene. There has to be something. I see you at the office. Mike is not to get wind of this..." Steve said.

He walked around the perimeter one last time. He wanted to run and let off steam. There was no time. He would not make it to his apartment tonight and was grateful for coffee as well as the man he left behind. There has to be a reason, there has to be a clue. He had roughly twelve hours before the man struck again.

If he was lucky...


	4. Chapter 4

Steve allowed himself to work in the quiet of Mike's office. He could hear the clock ticking in the back of his mind. He tried to get into the mind of the psychopath. It was imperative that they find the serial killer before another body was found. 

It was a needle in a very big haystack.

He knew that the facility he used for the murders had to be nearby. The problem was the amount of buildings near Coit Tower which meant Fisherman's Wharf, to the Embarcadero. It could also mean practically anywhere there was a building big enough to store a body where it would not be found.

His instincts told him the perp was well off. You needed connections in order to go undetected. There was no way, someone could be this elaborate without assistance.

The first two victims were women, but Steve did not rule out another body being a different race or sex.

He had the unnerving feeling that someone was being killed while he was trying to figure out what type of person he was hunting.

He did not want to know what was guy was thinking. He did not want to know why he was doing this.

He felt the same way Mike did. This was his city. He felt outrage at the murders, but more importantly he felt a stain spilling out at Coit Tower. It was spreading. There was still the clue pointing to Alcatraz. Steve was still unsure.

The second body left him no closer to finding the perp than the first one did. In some ways he was glad the bastard widened his M.O. by leaving a body of a different race.

There was still the consistency of having moved the body, and raping and taking the eyes out while she was still alive.

He cringed at that thought. There was something truly sadistic at removing the eyes. Was he doing it to for trophies? Was he doing it so that he did not have to look at her eyes while she was unable to move as he raped her? Was he doing it, so the police would have a harder time identifying the body. Surely he knew that no one would want to look at an eyeless photo to identify the body. He could only imagine the families of the women seeing the mutilated corpses.

He had seen a lot in life as a cop, but this was a new variant he hoped never to see again. 

He knew that time was running out and he needed time before the papers and local stations got word of the murders. He did not want all the details given to the public - especially the eyes. These murders were not fit for human consumption.

He was lost in thought when he heard a rap on the door. He shook his head out of his reverie and saw Dan peering through the glass. He waved the younger man in and sat up.

"I think I may have a lead on the first victim and I think we should look at the warehouses surrounding the area near Coit Tower. This could easily get out of hand. When one more body shows up, and you and I both know that his pattern will mean that in less than ten hours it will happen, someone will leak it to the papers. It might be easier to dispose of the body in the cover of darkness. That does not explain the timing of the second body." Dan said.

"How could he dispose of the second body in the same way as the first in broad daylight? It is not as if he could do it without someone noticing in the light of day... unless the body was disposed of when you were investigating the crime scene of the first. Were you aware of anyone that didn't belong when you were scoping out the location of the first crime scene?" He asked.

"I was called in around five. I had not had a cup of coffee yet. I have no idea who was there other than cops and the coroner's office. Are you telling me that there was someone else that blended in and could have watched how we investigated a crime scene? Are you saying that he was there getting his jollies while we were working our asses off trying to gather information, that would lead us to his whereabouts? He really is a sick bastard."

Dan nodded.

"It is bad enough that he is a psychopath. It is bad enough that he is killing women in this city. How do you narrow it down when the perp can be anyone. It is not like they wear signs on their foreheads. We are one police force, worse a couple of investigators against one man. He has the advantage because he knows what we are doing and we have no clue as to what he is up to with the exception of killing another victim..." Steve shook his head. 

He was tired and he wanted the experience that Mike had. Being on the streets for over twenty years gave him an advantage that Steve and Dan did not have.

"I am just trying to search out our options. At least we are almost certain that he not disposing of another body as of yet... It is too bright." Dan said.

"But there was a fog this morning." Steve said as the phone rang.

The cop at the other end said they found another body in the Embarcadero. This time it was a man in his mid forties. Naked, eyes removed and a finger pointing at Alcatraz. Steve rubbed his eyes, grabbed his jacket and ushered Dan out the door. He wanted eyes in the back of his head. He hoped that the media would not connect the murders. He wanted the information of the eyes to be kept out of circulation and he wanted the perp or perps to be caught yesterday.

Like it or not, he may have to tell Mike in order to nail the bastard.

He knew Captain Olsen had been told of the next victim and that he was trusting the two young cops to be able to come up with something that would lead them to the perp. He also knew the moon was made of Swiss cheese, and Santa Claus existed.

Somewhere those things were true, but not in his lifetime. 

He started the car and kept the siren silent. The less people were aware of it, the better.

The last thing he wanted was to give the bastard the satisfaction of knowing he succeeded yet again at deceiving San Francisco's finest.

This was his third victim. 

Given time he would get cocky and leave a trace that would lead them to his whereabouts, before panic would set in... Before the victims would pile up and they would lose the respect they rightfully deserved.

Before he struck again...

He needed to believe that... He needed to believe in the system and he needed help from Mike.


	5. Chapter 5

Steve was sitting behind Mike's desk and trying to reconfigure who could kill three people in less than 48 hours. When it was women, he could easily see them being manipulated and placed where they were. Although they were not easy to find, the bodies were not fully covered and would have been found in light of day. They were not prominently displayed but they weren't well hidden either.

Steve cringed at the idea of a child finding the body and either being too afraid of telling an adult, or being so horrified by the site, that running into traffic might be a better alternative.

They weren't pretty sights. He had a hard time blocking out the image of the empty eye sockets. It was this sight in particular he was trying to forget. He had been a cop long enough to see any number of horrors, but this was something he desperately wanted to forget.

Finding the third body in the Embarcadero threw all theories aside. The man was white, in his mid fifties and was over 170 pounds. If the perp moved the body from wherever he was doing his torture, how did he manage to make it appear out of nowhere?

What kind of person could do this? Was he saving the eyes for trophies? 

He had to wait for the coroner's report to see if the body had been sexually assaulted. It would not surprise him in the least but it added a different twist to the perp.

He was lost in thought and allowed himself the luxury of looking out over the city, when he heard a knock on the door.

He was not entirely surprised to see Mike standing there leaning on a cane. He had already put his hat on the coat rack and sat opposite what was normally his chair.

"Mike, you can have - " Steve started to say but was prompted to sit back down again.

"You have the blinds down and from what I gather, you have been here round the clock. I am not here. Do you want a different perspective?" Mike asked.

"Rudy agrees with me that this needs to be on the Q.T. and I was more than willing to leave it at that, but I am almost positive that we have a serial killer on our hands and the less people know about it the better. Mike I was determined to give you all the time allotted, but these murders scare the hell out of me." Steve said as he shuffled the pages of the first two murders toward him.

Mike got his reading glasses out of his pocket and started to pour over the reports. He could tell the difference between Steve and Dan's work, but both men were thorough. He smiled inwardly and felt a surge of pride knowing both men did above par jobs. But police work did not start at well written reports, it ended with them.

He looked at his friend who was rubbing his eyes.

"These are the first two. A third body was found in the Embarcadero district. While we were at the second crime scene, he was busy putting a monkey wrench into the mix. I am waiting for the coroner's report. He was a man in his fifties, near as I can tell, overweight and the body was still warm. I thought the perp could carry the women, but John Doe is another story and it can't be a copycat because Rudy has managed to keep the press at bay. There is no trace of the bodies being dragged and he has an obsession with eyes. From what we gathered they were kept alive during the removal. If he is consistent, another body will be somewhere pointing at Alcatraz by morning and if we are lucky it will be one of our guys who finds the body. I don't want a kid from the District looking at the hollows of the eyes." Steve said tiredly.

"I have a few connections with the VA and some retired cops, if that will help." Mike said softly.

Steve shook his head in frustration.

"Mike I am at a loss as to where to start looking. This is a big city and he has chosen three different races. When he added a different gender... There is a part of me that wants Rudy to put every available cop on this, but that will increase the chance of the media finding out about and that will cause a panic almost as bad as an earthquake." Steve replied with futility.

"I was the one who caught the first murder. This is my case. I have to see it through and I want it to end yesterday. Who am I looking for? Where is he doing his mutilations? Could it be in the basement of a hospital? How is he moving the bodies? If he were a racist, the third body would not have been white. He is not giving me space to breathe between murders. He wants panic and I don't want to give it to him. I want to shove his face in the biggest pile of manure and immobilize him." he said in anger.

"Go for a walk. Hit Fisherman's Wharf and separate yourself for an hour or two. I'll wait here for you. Right now you are too close to this. You need a fresh perspective. Who knows you may run into the son of a bitch. Realize that he got his victims by watching them. Somewhere are their eyes and identifications. You are a good cop Buddy Boy. You are a damn good cop or Rudy would have given this to someone else. Trust your gut and let me do this for you. I will straighten the files and see if there is anything you or the college boy missed." Mike said.

Steve knew better than to argue with him. He shook the cobwebs out of his head, grabbed his coat and patted Mike's arm before going out into the world.

But something was still nagging at him. How was he going to find the murderer before the bodies started piling up and the media created a city wide panic.


	6. Chapter 6

Mike was glad to be back, but had never expected this. There were other more experienced cops on the force, but he knew that Steve had handled tough cases before.

In some ways he was glad that no one else in the department was working on this. He was not sure if he could have stopped himself from losing his stomach contents. He wanted to go over every single detail and see if Steve and Dan were missing something. But he needed a chance to digest the idea of what the killer was doing.

It was the precision that frustrated him. They were not dealing with a person that was run of the mill. He knew and understood anatomy. He took his time and made sure to clean up his tracks. What was worrisome was the fact that the bodies were piling up faster than Steve could process them.

Psychopaths worked on a different level than the average Joe.

What made them terrifying is the fact that they could mimic anyone they came in contact with. That made them harder to find.

In some ways you had to get into the mind of a killer in order to catch him. The problem with that was you could lose yourself in the process. 

Steve and Dan were compassionate men. Mike had helped to hone their skills as police officers. They formed a detachment in order to catch a maniac. But how to you detach yourself from a person so devious that you have to get into his mind in order to catch him?

There was something else that was Mike was afraid to discuss.

The maniac had added another gender to the mix. If he was true to form, there was another possibility...

a child...

While Steve was out of the office, the coroner's report had come back. John Doe was sodomized with a condom. No fluids were were found, but there was spermicide and some rectal tearing. The coroner had surmised that he was alive when this happened and as well as the removal of the eyes.

How do you identify a body without facial recognition. Worse, how to you tell family members that the eyes were removed? There would be no need to tell them that their loved ones were alive when this occurred. 

Knowing Steve the way he did, he knew that he felt a responsibility to the families to let them know. 

It wasn't like the days when he was walking the beat. Cops had respect then. With the way the world was changing, you would be lucky if you got a hand shake. There had been a time or two when he had been spit on and sworn at. This was long after he had to wear his blues. 

He had five more years to get his thirty year pin. He could have easily retired when he was injured, but the itch to get out there was still there. He loved the city and had become part of it in many ways.

He was glad that he came down to see Steve and he would call in a few I.O.U.s when Steve got back. He needed to give Steve breathing room. This was his case until Rudy said otherwise. He had enough respect for Steve to handle this on his own, but that did not mean that he would go back to his house and sit on his hands. He wasn't put out to pasture yet.

He gave Steve time to get a little distance so that he would not get wrapped up in the killer. Steve was too good a man to get sucked into the mind of a man that took eyes as a trophy. 

He prayed that they still had a little time. He could tell his friends what to be on the lookout for and to keep it silent. What man would want to describe the murders to someone else anyway?

Then he realized that he best not say a word, except to be on the lookout. he wanted to make sure if his friends caught sight of anything, that they best call him or Steve.

The bastard was getting too cocky. He was bound to slip up sooner rather than later... No man was invincible.

He knew that the best people were working on the fingerprints of the victims. All they needed was one lead. If it wasn't the face, than it would be something else.

The longer the psycho was out there, the closer San Francisco's finest would be out there waiting for him.

Steve would be first in line. Mike was sure of it.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve stepped out of Mike's office, nodded toward Dan and kept right on walking. He thanked God that school had started so there was a slim chance that another body would be found by a kid. The thought of that turned his stomach.

What made things worse was that slim possibility of the perp killing a child. He knew it was inevitable that another body was going to be found within the next six hours, but he hoped by then that there was some lead on the bastard trying to make a mockery out of San Francisco's finest.

He also wanted just a little more time and leeway to find the bastard before a fifth body was found. He knew that his skill at finding clues where to the naked eye were nonexistent relied to some extent on luck.

This was his case, and he could almost taste the desire to find the bastard.

He was also relying on the fingerprints of the first three victims to lead them to a name. The Hispanic woman was definitely upper class. 

One first glance the matching nail polish and lipstick could lead to a high class call girl, but her stomach contents suggested one of the finer restaurants of the city. This was a blessing that meant legwork or calls to the establishments while giving out a description that neglected her facial features.

He would talk to Dan about calling the upper class, or calling the finer eateries. Regardless he needed to find her identity.

She was the first...

Or was she?

The perp may have done this in other cities. 

There were other big cities. There was L.A., Boston, New York City, and Washington D.C. next to oceans just to name a few.

Why had he chosen San Francisco?

Was it home? 

He was very precise in what he did. He had to have honed his craft somewhere else... The eyes kept pulling him back. His knowledge of using drugs and removing them when the victim was alive was something different. Maybe he was an expert at taxidermy.

Where was he getting the drugs?

These were specialized and could not be made at home. The coroner said they were sophisticated and produced for major hospitals.

Could he have an accomplice? If that was the case did that person have any idea or help with the victims.

It had to be his case. There was no way in hell that he would hand it off to someone else. He was glad Mike would help. But he would not let Mike take over. 

Unless told otherwise, he would try to keep it hush hush and use what resources he had to nail the bastard.

He took a moment to look at the skyline that was home. He breathed in the air and took some slow deep breaths.

He felt he was closer to an answer, and to nailing the bastard.

He could regain focus.

He knew there was another body, but for the first time since this started, he felt himself getting closer to the psycho that was hoping to see it in the papers.

Steve was determined not to give him the satisfaction of the notoriety for being a sick demented individual with nothing better to do than to torture and kill.

He felt his strength returning as he walked back to the office.

He was more than willing to thank Mike for teaching him how to be a good cop.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve walked into the office and found Dan on the phone. He hoped it was a lead. He touched his arm and pointed toward the office. Dan hung up and followed him into Mike's office.

Mike had just hung up the phone.

"Rudy wants to see the three of us in his office now." Mike said as he got up and got his hat. He ushered the two men out and headed toward the captain's office and barely used his cane.

Rudy was pacing the office and barely saying a word as the liason with public relations inquired about the murders. It was not uncommon for women to be killed in the city. Unfortunately that was frequent. It was normally considered a domestic squabble was common in every city. Murdered hookers were more common, and harder to solve because of the nature of the beast.

Ladies of the Night, as they were sometimes called, rarely gave their real name and were anonymous. It was rare that they were from the city. They were often runaways that were forced into prostitution because of dire circumstances.

Mike and the others had their fair share of Jane Does, but if word leaked out that a man was killed in such a way... Even though the case was on the Q.T., Rudy knew that it would put emphasis on finding the bastard because the perp killed a man. Not just any man, but a white man at that.

"Steve, Mike, Dan I would like you to meet Randall Carter of public relations. Somehow word leaked out that a dead man was found in the Embarcadero. I was hoping to give you more time to find the bastard, but I am afraid that I can't give you much more time." Rudy said.

"Captain I understand the time restraints, but he has not given us much to go on. He has been putting corpses out before we have time to process the ones he put out since early yesterday morning. We have to narrow it down from every person in the city to at least a few hundred. I am guessing that he will give us another corpse before morning. Who knows who it will be. There is a part of me that wants to use all our resources to find a lead."

"I did not want to let Mike in on this because he was still on sick leave, but I am glad he is part of it providing that he go back home and take it easy. I want to comb the areas where the bodies were found. Despite our best efforts this maniac has left very little clues. The M.E. has said that the women were well off, but that has not gotten us closer to finding out their identities. Much as their stature should make them easier to find, they were both from different races. Then he killed and mutilated a white man... Was he hoping that doing that would finally get the recognition he craves?"

"Dan is following any lead and I all I have to identify the bodies are fingerprints. The pictures of the faces without eyes are not pretty. He knows what he is doing and he knows what we are doing. I caught the first case. I need a little more time to find the clues he had to have left behind. I am afraid if this will be leaked to the press, he might speed up his conquests. I am afraid it will lead to panic in the city. He will feel like he owns the city. Rudy, I need a little more time. I am sure that he has killed his fourth victim" Steve added.

"He picked this city. He has fingers pointed to Alcatraz, and he keeps them alive until he disposes of the bodies. Finding the body of the first one was sheer luck... or was it? There are too many unanswered questions and if I could I would give you more manpower, but I am afraid that word might leak out. Tell me you are getting closer to finding this psycho." Rudy said.

"We are getting closer. If any of the victims were fingerprinted in the last five years, we will find out who they are. Steve found out that the drugs had to have been from a hospital. That limits his access unless he is a medical professional. The coroner said that the ways the eyes were removed was done by someone who knew taxidermy. We can search for similar tools. I do not want to give the perp what he wants. Panic in the city might speed up his timetable. Please give us more time." Dan said.

"Mike I will let you have final say before I make my decision." Rudy said as he nodded to Carter.

"I told Steve that i wasn't here. If we let word leak out that a white man was murdered in the Embarcadero, it is my opinion that he will speed up. If that happens we will never catch him, no matter how many cops are on the street looking for him. It was easy to keep it quiet because of two women. That being said, I know that Steve made this case top priority. Race should not be a factor, but it is. Our killer knew it when he set up the bodies. I want to search my files on Alcatraz. I am not her officially for another week, but there are three minds working on this."

"I don't want to see another murder, but I agree with the timetables. Keeping quiet is exactly what this bastard does not want. I am surprised he hasn't called the media himself. I am scared that he will choose a child for his next victim..." Mike said.

"Time is running out. Nail the bastard before I have to go public. Do what you have to do to keep this from being a three ring circus. But do what you can within 48 hours. Good day gentlemen and good luck. Keep me informed." Rudy said.

Grim faces left the room.

"I will call in a few favors. I don't want some innocent finding the body this time. I want it to be a cop." Mike said.

"Thanks for the help. I can feel the time running out and I don't want another body after the one I know will show up in the city." Steve said as they parted.

Dan saw Steve take the stairs. He knew that they had 48 hours and that they would need every second to catch the perp.

When Steve got into the office, he shut the door and took a deep breath before he sat in Mike's chair. He looked over the papers and tried to find something they missed. 

The clock was ticking... 

+


	9. Chapter 9

Steve allowed himself the quiet of Mike's office while Dan was following what few leads they had. He was tired and allowed himself to close his eyes. He had been working this case for close to 48 hours without a chance to sleep. He knew if he would continue to survive on coffee and adrenalin, he would get sloppy.

Problem with trying to sleep was that as soon as he closed his eyes, an image of hollow eye sockets would emerge. It did not help when the coroner said the victims were awake but immobilized when they were removed.

He was grateful that not all the details were known. He did not want to know how they were molested, and if that took place before the eyes were removed.

He shook his head to get rid of the images and took a sip of cold coffee. He thought it tasted like battery acid and it was not helping his stream of consciousness.

Time was running out. 

He looked at the chalkboard that was filled with empty spaces.

He forced himself to try and think as the killer.

He took the liberty of eliminating women as suspects. They would be more likely to be seen by the city's population. Yes it was sexist, but it was all too true. A woman would be recognized regardless of her appearance because if she was disposing of something heavy, she could not take the risk of some self appointed hero coming to her aid.

Not only that but the molestation is something more likely done by a man. Rapes were more and act of violence. Rage was usually a factor.

Rage was key in this profile of the killer. 

How did he pick his victims? Did he work somewhere and come in contact with them? Why was the Hispanic woman the first.

What really terrified him was the fact that he had to have gotten the skill somewhere. Was she the first? Was she left somewhat out in the open to attract attention?

Were there others that he took greater care in disposing of the bodies? He was spacing out the murders in narrow time frames. Steve assumed that the bastard wanted attention.

When the body of the middle aged white man was found in the Embarcadero barely 12 hours ago, it added another piece to the equation.

Steve was partially dreading the next body. He knew it was coming, but he was afraid it was going to be a child.

If that happened, no amount of public relations would stop the press from learning about this serial killer.

He was also afraid that there would be no body found.

He remembered the Scorpio killer in the late 60's. 

For all he knew that killer may have died of natural causes before he could continue. The man had hid his tracks and no sign of any mementos were found.

Steve knew there were killers out there that got away with murder because they did not want the attention.

This bastard was different... That meant he wanted to be caught. He was looking at the papers to see a mention of the murders.

Steve called Dan in and started to write on the chalkboard.

"What do we know so far? We know it is a man and that there is a tie to Alcatraz. The facility was closed in 63'. I don't think the victims are purposefully chosen. I think he wants us to know something about the prison." Steve said.

"We have to narrow it down, so why not start there? I can get a list of the inmates and guards." Dan said hopefully.

"Good idea. Let's let Mike in on this too. I am sure he has some books on the subject. We know it is a man, probably related to one of them. It might even be one of them. He has a skill at removing the eyes. Maybe he was an inmate that would kill rodents to spend the time. I feel it in my gut that we will have another body, but I want to make sure this is his last. We cannot afford finding a fifth body. Do you think is the best plan of action?" Steve asked.

"He wants to be stopped. Otherwise he would have easily disposed of the bodies so that no one could find them. Alcatraz is the key..." Dan said.

"We finally have a link that will lead us to the sonofabitch. We have at most six hours before he disposes of another victim. With Mike's help... I am going to tell Rudy to see if we can recruit a little more help. Thanks Dan. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't an oncoming train. I will call Mike and show Rudy our results. I just hope we are right and in time." Steve said as he saw Dan leave the office. He was looking forward to seeing the photos of the victims with their eyes in tact. 

For the first time since he caught this case, he felt hope. He wanted no more bodies to be found.

He wanted to see the eyes of the psycho that did this... He wanted no mention of it in the papers. He wanted the bastard to be erased from all memory.

Tick tick tick...


	10. Chapter 10

Steve was in Rudy's office waiting for the captain to walk in. He was pacing and looking down at his shoes. He formulated just how he was going to tell his boss that he was closer to finding the bastard, but not close enough. In his mind the clock was ticking and he knew that some psychopath was killing another victim while they narrowed down the suspects. The only good thing was knowing they had narrowed the search.

Steve still had no way of knowing how he chose his victims, where he was torturing them and how he could dispose of the body without anyone taking notice.

Although the murderer had limited himself to the areas surrounding Coit Tower and the Embarcadero, it was not a small enough area to cover. Steve knew he could go in any direction. He could expand the area and put the bodies wherever he wanted without leaving a foot print. He was glad that the perp limited himself to the two areas. He wondered what the significance of the areas. He also knew that he had no idea if they noticed that he had a hand pointed to Alcatraz. Most perps did not give the police credit.

While waiting in Rudy's office, it occurred to him that there were some people that you would ignore no matter what time of day it was.

Sanitation workers were often ignored as they went about their business. Even if the truck was loud, you tended to put a blind eye to what they were doing...

Rudy finally entered the room. His face was grim.

"Any clue as to who our killer is? There is nothing I want more than to put this case to bed. There is nothing that would make me happier than to see this psycho put behind bars before he has the chance to do it again." Rudy said tiredly.

"Captain I have narrowed it down to a couple hundred suspects, but I still need time. While sitting here in your office it occurred to me that he has to be a sanitation worker. The appearance of the bodies might coincide with sanitation truck schedules. Not many people would know the schedules of the trucks. I want your permission to have Mike help us with his friends from the V.A. I am hoping they can canvas the areas where the bodies were found without making a big impact. Cops patrolling the area would bring too much attention and if we used our own people it would get the media wondering what was going on. I also need him to give us some info on Alcatraz. I know that he has an interest in the Rock. He has a stronger tie to that area because he was around in 63' and my youth is a disadvantage." Steve said in a calm voice.

"I am glad you came back to the force. When you get this case settled I might let you have an extra day off to catch up on your sleep. Is there anything else you need?" Rudy asked.

Steve laughed at the thought of a day off. He at been back at the office for less than a month and that day off, might just be the day he normally took off. That was the joy of being one of San Francisco's finest. 

He shook his head and left with a lightness in his step.

He realized he hadn't smiled since he caught this case and that gave him a sense of relief and the strength to find the killer.

He realized that he felt at home for the first time since taking the oath. It gave him the strength to survive and the knowledge that he could do the job.

But he knew that catching the killer was not a solo effort. He could only do it with the help of others.

He was glad that he could rely on Mike and Dan as well. 

Part of him wanted to remove the bastard's eyes without any meds whatsoever. But he realized the perp had no feelings whatsoever, so he allowed himself to know that it was his police work to prevent him from doing it again.

Who knew what would happen to him behind bars. He just hoped in would be put in with the general population and that he would boast of his conquests to the wrong people...

He got back to Mike's office and saw a light flashing on the phone.

"Mike Stone's office." Steve answered.

"I am glad you haven't taken over completely." Mike replied.

"Mike I am glad you called. I need help to nail this bastard. I just talked it over with Rudy and he agrees with me. I have narrowed it down to a few hundred from thousands of men... Help me narrow it down to one." Steve said as he sat opposite the desk of his partner and friend.

While he brought him up to speed, he heard the clock ticking.

Tick, tick, tick...


	11. Chapter 11

She could not figure out where she was. Try as she might, she could not move. Every muscle in her body was frozen. Lights were shining in her eyes until she saw a gloved hand with metal shining in it. She felt pressure and cold metal as it came closer to her eye. She couldn't scream. She wanted so desperately to move. She wanted to run and to scream and to have anybody, ANYBODY to help her. All she felt was numb and fear. The best she could do was barely whimper. 

She saw him withdraw his hand and saw blood. His smile was there and the instrument was coming closer to her other eye. She wanted the bastard to stop. She wanted to do SOMETHING. She couldn't close her eyes. She felt like something was missing.

His hand with the instrument was bloody now as it came toward her...

Why didn't someone help her? How could she have gotten into this situation? She wanted to black out. She wanted to close her eyes.

In a few moments she would not have eyes to see.

Steve felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Steve are you okay? I know you haven't slept in the last 48 hours. I didn't want to disturb you, but the clock is ticking. I may have narrowed it down to a place called Bob's Sanitation Company. They are hired out to the city and they have a fleet of fifteen trucks that go through the Embarcadoro and the area surrounding Coit tower. They have 25 drivers." Dan said.

Steve woke up instantly. He shook the nightmare out of his head and acted as if the horrible dream was a figment of his imagination. He grabbed his coat and led Dan out of the office to the car. There was no time to let Rudy know until they were en route.

"What is the address? Do they have photos of their employees? We are running out of time and I want to nail the bastard."

Dan nodded. He wondered if they needed backup but something told him that if the perp saw them coming they may never find him. 

If they lost him, he could go to another city and what little they had on him would go to the wayside. He would know where he made his mistakes and would be harder to find.

As Steve was driving down Market, he took a few deep breaths. The pieces were coming together. There was no need to give him a heads up. 

They reached Bob's Sanitation. It was on a nondescript street hidden in the back alleys of the Embarcadero. The colors of the trucks were nondescript. The design was meant to blend into the landscape.

Steve saw Dan check his gun and did the same before they walked up the steps. He took out his badge. 

Everything was going to be by the book. He would not hurt a hair on the bastard's head... especially the eyes.

Time was running out.

Tick, tick, tick...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this kept coming to me and it had to be written. tell me what you think.


	12. Chapter 12

Before Steve and Dan got out of the car, they scoped out the place. Men in grey coveralls with the logo printed on the back were checking trucks and talking. One had a cup of coffee and was looking skyward. Steve waited a few moments before he got out of the car. Dan followed suit. How does a cop blend into the scenery? A cop goes about with the air of authority that goes with the badge. He gives the impression like he owns the place and heads for the front door.

Once inside, Steve looked for the office that was off to the side. He made it look as if he and Dan belonged there. 

Upon entering the office, Steve slowly pulled out his badge so that only the people in the office could see. Dan followed suit and was glad of the fan in the corner dispersing the smell that had come with the trucks that had just come in. It did not do much good, but anything was an improvement.

"My name is Detective Steve Keller and this is my partner Dan Robbins. We are looking for a man that has been performing some robberies here and in the area surrounding Coit Tower. Our investigation has led us here. Could you help us out by giving us a roster of the people who work here?" Steve asked the woman with the pencil stuck in her hair.

"Gee this is the first I heard of it. If it is something big wouldn't the papers have covered it?" she asked as she got up to the counter and inspected the badges.

"We have managed to keep it out of the press because of who was involved. They requested that their names be withheld until the burglar is caught. We are trying to find him before he targets another area." Steve said convincingly.

"I don't know... Don't you have to have some kind of search warrant? I mean I don't want to get in trouble with my boss." She replied as she drummed a hand on the counter.

"Miss, we are simply checking out some of the leads we have. This isn't a formal investigation. We just want to check on the possibilities. The only way I know of to do that is by checking out some names. You are the first sanitation company that we are checking. Our boss said to start with the first one in the phone book and you are the first. I promise we won't make a mess of your business, but we want to solve this before he strikes again." Dan said.

"If you want, you can check with your boss, but I would rather go through you than make a fuss. Do you have pictures of your employees? Do you know how many drivers are here now?" Steve asked with the air of authority he did not have.

"We have seven that are out picking up rubbish. There are a few here trying to pick us office girls up and the rest are either off, or coming for the next shift." She said as she quietly proffered the list of names. She winked at Steve and took a step back from the counter.

"It is a dirty job but somebody has to do it. If we continue to work for the city, Harry, my boss, says we may pick up more routes. When I get home I have lavender soap that gets the smell off my skin. Please let me know if you catch the bastard." She added.

"You'll see it in the next few days. Thanks for all your help..." Steve said.

"My name is Laura. I would like to know from you from you personally if you don't mind. I get off at six." She said and winked as they went out of the office.

Once the door shut and he was sure they were out of earshot, Dan touched Steve's sleeve.

"Is what you did legal?" He whispered.

"We are running out of time, and do you really want me to tell the truth while another life is in the balance? I am glad your police work narrowed it down to twenty five. The ones that were in the office weren't fit enough to do what this guy has done. When we get to the office, we have to tie some names to Alcatraz. I want to bring in Mike to see if he recognizes any names. The next time we come, I want to blend in until we are absolutely sure that we can nail the bastard." Steve said softly as they reached the door to the dock.

"For what it is worth. You convinced me. Have you ever considered acting as a profession?" Dan added.

Steve smiled at the thought. But only for a moment. He heard the clock ticking again, and it was louder.

Tick, tick, tick...


	13. Chapter 13

Mike sat in his office in his chair. He had tried to stay away but when Steve had welcomed him with open arms he needed to get back. Lives were at stake. If Steve had had a few more years under his belt, he may have solved this case without his help.

Steve had the misfortune of being born in the wrong decade. Regardless, he was a good cop. He knew when to ask for help, and where to go to get the answers.

This is not to say that had Mike got the call, he would have known the answers sooner. 

He was proud of Steve. All the years of working together made him into the man - into the cop that he was.

Steve had stayed with him while he was in the hospital. He had taken care of Jeannie while he fought to get back. He helped her get past the fear of losing him.

Mike waited until he and Dan got back. If it would speed things up, it was worth the wait. The sooner they got the bastard...

Steve rushed into the office and was glad to see him back where he belonged.

"Dan made copies the names of the drivers at Bob's Salvage. See if any of them look familiar. I don't want another dead body to add to his count. Mike I know in my gut that his name is one of the drivers. I just wish we had found him in time. I can't get the images out of my head of those eyeless sockets. When the coroner said they were alive..."

"Steve never underestimate the cruelty of man's inhumanity to man. Any one of us could have caught that first call. For what it is worth, I am glad it was you. You have the ability to get into a perp's mind, but you don't get lost in it. The day you do, I want you to promise me that you WILL give up the badge. Now give me the list and let's nail the bastard."

Steve stood there with his jaw open. It must have been because of his near death experience that Mike praised him. He didn't have time to bask in the words. Dan was checking the ages of the drivers and the routes they followed.

He correlated the routes to the names and narrowed it from twenty five to three. He went into the office where Mike recognized a name.

The name triggered a memory and it came flooding back to him. A few years after Alcatraz was shut down, one of the inmates was released.

Rape is an act of violence. The con went on a rampage and the first woman he raped was the daughter of one of the guards. He had put his thumbs in her eyes. Mike remembered the case when he saw the name. Marcus Visolovich had come home to see his daughter barely alive and his wife in a catatonic state. Something had triggered the murders, but they needed to stop him before he killed again.

"He might still be at work. Let's get the bastard before he kills again. I have his name, and something tells me he may have a spare room where he does his dirty work. Until I am sure, I want to go in like we are inspecting the place. I hope that with luck, we will catch him before he gets a few more trophies." Mike said as he got from behind the desk in one fluid motion and took his hat from the coat rack.

Steve breathed a deep sigh of relief and followed Mike out the door. He urged Dan to do likewise. 

Once again they would let Rudy know en route. Once again he would not run with sirens blaring.

Once more he prayed they would make it before a fourth body lay in the morgue.

Tick, tick, tick...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember Karl Malden using his real name Sucolavich whenever he could get it in. Note the name of the man he recognizes...


	14. Chapter 14

Steve was pleased they weren't in rush hour. If he were running the sirens, it would not matter, but he needed the illusion that he was just another commuter. If you could drive in this city, you could drive anywhere. That was why a lot of people took BART. Even some sanitation workers who drove for their livelihood went to work by public transportation.

Steve wanted nothing more than to nail this bastard in the act. He wasn't sure they would make it in time, but he knew they had less than two hours before another body showed up. He would let Mike do the talking in the office, while Dan and he would patrol the area. He knew his partners were a stone's throw away.

Steve parked the car and they had their duties to perform. He walked around the trucks in the area. Some of the drivers were hanging around and taking information.

He saw a ramp off to the side. It was dark and appeared to be abandoned. His gut told him to investigate. 

He saw Dan talking to some drivers and other workers. He caught a glimpse of Mike's smile as he was charming some of the office workers. He started to drop his guard as he walked up the ramp.

From out of nowhere, he was hit from behind.

He woke in a small darkened room. He was tied spread eagle to the metal table. He saw the needle go toward his arm.

Tick, tick, tick...


	15. Chapter 15

"Mr. Visolovich, my name is Detective Steve Keller. I am a San Francisco police officer. Can we talk a few minutes before you paralyze me with that drug?" Steve asked in a confident voice.

"You. You were the ones who let bastard go. He killed my daughter and destroyed my wife. He should have died on that rock. That bastard took my daughter and finally took my wife. He did those murders, I was merely his instrument. You. You should have kept him on that rock. You let him loose after a few years and he found me... my family. I still have the prom dress. Find him! Put him back in a hole where he belongs. I saw you near Coit Tower. You were there..." He said and shook with rage.

"We should have caught it. I am deeply sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what it is like to lose those you love most in the world. You gave us hints and for that I am grateful, but sir this has to stop. If you follow through with me the way you did with the others, you will be back in prison but as an inmate. If you saw me at the crime scene then you know I am not working this case alone. I have other officers nearby. You might try to do to me what you did to the others, but they will find you." Steve said as he tried to sound confident instead of the shake he knew to be in his voice.

"You should have thought about that when you were keeping the murders quiet. You should have thought about that when you released Harry from prison to kill my daughter. What do I have now? What is left for me to hang on to?" He asked as the tears started to fall.

"Sir, I am not sure you realize but informing the media would have caused havoc in the city. I could not let that happen. If you kill me the way you did the others, you will have the city lose its faith in the police force. If that happens, Harry will continue to be free. He will do to others what he did to your daughter and wife. Please sir..." Steve said.

"I'm sorry, it has to be this way." He said as he held the needle up to the light.

 

Tick tock tic...


	16. Chapter 16

Mike had a way with people. He went into the office and found out what he needed to know. Vilosovich had gotten off shift and tended to stay around. His wife had died a few weeks back and his daughter had been murdered. He had no where else to go when his shift was done.

The building was built at around the time that Alcatraz had closed and the former guard knew every nook and cranny. 

His gut told him that Steve had solved the case. It was their good fortune that the man was still on the premises. 

He found Dan and looked for Steve. He got a feeling in his gut.

He started asking around for Vilosovich and waved Dan over.

"Have you seen Steve around? I know who we are looking for. The girls in the office said his wife died a few weeks back and he stays around after his shift which ended about forty five minutes ago. He is over six feet, with white hair and aviator glasses. He has been working here since they opened. He knows every inch of this building. He has less than two hours before he will dispose of another body, if he is true to form." Mike said.

"Steve was near that truck when I saw him last. I asked some of the men if they knew where our perp hangs out. They said that he likes to be near the older rooms in the back. He is close to dropping another body. Shall we go check?" Dan asked.

"We'll catch up with Steve later if he isn't already near those rooms" Mike replied.

Mike nodded and noticed a cat playing with a ball point pen. The cat was spinning it on the floor and her green eyes caught his attention.

"Notice anything familiar? I could swear this is Steve's pen. Check for any sign of light." Mike said as he picked up the cat.

She purred and then broke free. Her step was sure and purposeful. She got to the door with light peeking through.

"MEOW!" She said and butted her white head against the door.

Vilosovich swore under his breath. The last thing he wanted was that cat to interrupt his work. He knew that when she wanted attention, she would not give up until she got it.

Mike gestured for Dan to hide and waited for Vilosovich to open the door.

He was more concerned with the cat and did not see the two men aim their guns at him.

"FREEZE!" Mike yelled.

The cat scampered into the room and jumped on the table where Steve was taking a few deep breaths.

"Mike don't you ever tell me I am a good cop. I am so good I was hit from behind and put on this table. I feel like a complete idiot." Steve said while testing his bonds once more. Mike smiled and kept his gun on Vilosovich. Dan started to loosen Steve's bonds.

The first thing Steve did was hug the cat who pointed Mike and Dan to the door.

"Steve we all make mistakes. I am just glad it didn't cost you your life." Mike said as he helped his friend sit on the table.

"Or my eyes." He said as he rubbed at them self consciously.

Steve put the cuffs on Vilosovich. A crowd was forming as they noticed the commotion.

The girl who flirted with Steve, looked at him.

"Is this the the jewel thief?" She asked Steve.

Steve nodded and just wanted to get out of there. Rudy promised him a day off. If it was tomorrow, he was right. He was scheduled for it. Not that it mattered. He would have worked on the case because the clock was ticking. Only this time he could ignore it.

He could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the city was free of a serial killer.

His breaking point was the death of his wife. After Steve had been knocked out from behind, he knew how he had managed to get the other victims. He was sure that they would find out the identities of the other victims. Steve would notify the families personally.

So much for a day off. 

He owed it to the families to let them know that he did every thing he could. He wanted to keep silent about the fact that they were part of a maniac's rage.

But that would wait till morning.

Now he could go home and sleep.

Mike was smiling as he got behind the wheel and saw Steve close his eyes.

Steve heard the ticking fade off...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok I pulled a rabbit out of my hat. Even I did not know how it was going to end. No outline, just making sure of my facts.
> 
> thank you for reading and going on the ride with me. I could have added more verbage, but that aint my style.
> 
> I do like a quote from Hitchcock. It is not what we see, it is what we don't see. That is why he left cliffhangers before the commercial break. 
> 
> Technology has spoiled us. Watching some of the old faves on dvd lose their sparkle without the Marlboro Man and Mr. Clean.
> 
> '


	17. Chapter 17

Steve heard a knock on the door and looked at the clock beside the bed. Nine o'clock was flashing in red. He was glad it was a knock on the door instead of the phone ringing.

"Good morning Buddy Boy. I brought coffee and bagels. I am still off for the next few days. Last night while you slept, and Dan and I found out the names of the victims. I also have the addresses. Would you like the honors?" Mike said as he put down the tray with the food and pulled some papers out of his breast pocket.

Steve had tears in his eyes as he took the papers and read the name of the first victim. Her name was nothing special, but it was to him.

There in type written letters was the name Carlota del Gato. She lived across the bay. She was 27 years old with a small son and husband by the name of Roberto. She had not been reported missing because her mother had taken her son for a few days so she could meet Roberto in Cancun.

"I know how important this is to you. I also know how hard you worked on this case. Let me drive you over there and give you moral support." Mike said as he saw Steve fight the tears.

"Thanks Mike, let me get a shower and think of some way to tell her husband about her missing eyes. I will only tell of the rape if he asks me. I won't go into details. No one should know the sickness of that man's mind." Steve said as he headed toward the bathroom.

"I know how you feel about this, but before you tell him anything, consider this. You kept the details out of the paper until you caught the bastard. Wouldn't it be better if you told him rather than him hearing whispers?" Mike asked.

"Let me ask you, would you like the details?" Steve said as he stood in the hallway and waited.

"If it were you, would you want to know the truth, and that some cop took it upon himself to find the monster that did this?" Mike replied.

"I think I will ask her husband. Give me five and we can be on our way. And Mike? Thanks for letting me sleep. I was so tired that I didn't dream. It may be my day off, but crime does not take a holiday because the city lets me have a chance to decompress." Steve said as he turned on the water.

Mike looked over the papers. He had not bothered to bring in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The headlines read about the murders and that San Francisco's finest had thwarted yet another serial killer. Unlike Scorpio who had disappeared without a trace, he was caught without incident.

The papers need not know the details... Especially how close he had come to killing a cop.`

It would be in the papers for a few days and then something more important would push it to the back pages.

Mike sighed with relief. The last thing he wanted was a panic on his hands. 

Steve came back clean shaven and wearing his uniform of jacket slacks and tie. He made sure he had his wallet and keys.

Mike stood there with car keys in hand. He had almost lost his partner back from a leave of absence. 

This time the roles were reversed. He had nearly lost him, the way Steve had sat by his bedside.

Steve was part of this city. He roamed on every street. He could be called to action at any moment.

He was one of San Francisco's finest.

 

finis


End file.
